Cork substitute and process of manufacture



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMMA E. GRAHAM, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CORK SUBSTITUTE AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE.

No Drawing.

To all wfwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMA E. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State ofWashin ton, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in a CorkSubstitute and Process of Manufacture, and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to cork substitutes and process of manufacturingthe same, and is in part a continuation of my application Serial No.232,720i.

Bark cork is not only expensive but is usually marred by worm holes andother defects.

One of the principal objects, therefore, of the present invention is totreat soft porous wood so that it may be used in place of bark or makingbungs stoppers and other articles.

Nood consists of cellulose fibres intimately mixed and bound togetherwith non-ccllulose material such as lignin, resins, etc. The percentageof cellulose varies according to the hardness of the wood, usuallyranging from about 40% as in the case of oak to about 57% as in the caseof hr.

The non-cellulose constituents may be extracted chemically either inpart or substantially Wholly. For the present purpose only part ot thelignin, etc. is removed to avoid the reduction of the wood to ashupeless mass of pulp and to yield a product having the desiredresiliency and mechanical strength.

In practice, using the wood of the Orclr-roma Zagopus knownin mosttropical countries as the Balsa wood and in American Samoa as Fan whichontains about 75% of cellulose, satisfactory re ults may be obtained byremoving from about 10%- to 60% of the non-cellulose materials. l suallythe amount removed is about 2521'? I have also found that in trcatingwood with my process to remove a portion of the 1 non-cellulosematerials a soft porous wood hard woods.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

' Balsa WOOCl is particularly suitable since it contains salp ductsthrough it and in general any WOCK having sap ducts therethrough isparticularly useful for the present pu r= pose.

While various methods may be employed for reducing the content ofnon-cellulose materials to render the wood resilient, vcl'v satisfactoryresults have been obtained, by means of the following process: v

First, the wood is cut into the desired size and shape on a lathe orother suitable machinery. Second. the wood is immersed'in a solutionmade of five gallons of water to one pound of bicarbonate of soda, whenthe solution is at a'temperature of approximately 180 F. and maintainedat such temperature constantly for from six to twelve hours according tothe size of the pieces of wood to he treated. Third, the wood isimmersed in clear water of the same temperature as of said solution andagitated for about ten minutes, being careful to maintain thetemperature and not permit the wood to cool. Fourth, the wood isimmersed in a solution of the same temperature made of water and woodash lye, being about ten per cent of the latter. The temperature must bemaintained and the wood left in this solution from ten hours up,emcordinp to the size and hardness of the wood. and until the solutionhas thoroughly penetrated the wood. Fifth, the wood is washed in clearwater of the same temperature for six hours or more until the formersolution is washed out. Then the wood is dried in a room heated topractically the same tei'nperature. and having good circulation of air.It is important not to let the Wood cool until it is thoroughly dry.

I claim as my invent-ion:

1. The process of treating wood to render the same resilient whichconsists in immersing said wood in a solution consisting of water andbicarbonate of soda. then immersing it in a solution consisting of waterand wood-ash lye which penetrates the same, the temperature of thesolutions and said wood during its treatment being maintained atnpprordmatel; one hundred and eighty degrees Fahrenheit.

2. The process of treating wood to render the same resilient whichconsists in immersing said wood in a solution consisting of theproportion of approximately five gallons of outer to one pound of biurbouatc of soda, then immersing said wood in clear water,

then immersing said wood in a solution consisting of water andapproxinately 10% wood-ash lye, then immersing said wood in clear water,and then removing said wood to dry, the temperature of said solutions ofsaid clear water and of the said wood during its entire treatment beinmaintained at approximatel one hundred and eighty degrees Fahren eit. I

3. An improved article of manufacture consisting of wood stock of Balsagenus treated to remove a portion of its 1ntra cellular binders toincrease its cork-like char acteristics. i

4. The process of treatin wood to render the same resilient which incudes first cutting the wood into desired shape, immersing it in asolution of bicarbonate of soda, washing the wood, immersin same in asolution consisting of water an lye, and finally drying the product, thetem erature of said solution and of the said woo during its entire treat.mately 180 F.

ment being maintained at approximately 180 F. Y

5. The process of treating wood to render the same resilient whichincludes immersing it in a solution of fire gallons of water and onepound of bicarbonate of sodat'or approximately six to twelve hours,washing the same in clear water for approximately ten minutes, thenimmersing the wood in a solution of lye for approximately ten to fifteenhours, and finally washing it in clear water for from six to ten hours.after which the product is dried in a heated room of approxi- Intestimony whereof I have hereunto suhscribed my nume in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

v EMMA E. GRAHAM.

Witnesses:

J. A. Hosnon, EDNA R. Hosuon.

